About LLC Founder
LLC Founder is a free tool for figuring out what it really costs to form and run an LLC in any US state: state filing fee, annual report fee and cadence, franchise tax minimums, registered agent requirements, and publication where it applies — across all 50 states and DC. No signup, no newsletter, no sales calls. For corrections or legal correspondence we maintain a contact email at info@llcfounder.com.
What this site does
- Calculate Year-1 and ongoing LLC cost in any state, factoring registered agent, EIN service, expedited filing, and publication.
- Compare LLC formation services (ZenBusiness, Northwest, LegalZoom, Doola, Bizee, Tailor Brands, Rocket Lawyer) on price, what's included, and use case.
- Explain the choice of formation state — when to form at home, when not to, and why "form in Delaware" is usually wrong.
- Cite official Secretary of State sources alongside every fee.
Where the numbers come from
Every state's LLC fee schedule is published online by its Secretary of State (or Division of Corporations, or Department of State, depending on the state). Each state row carries a direct link to that source. Numbers are seeded against published rates and re-verified on a refresh schedule.
Refresh schedule
- Major refresh: January 5 each year (most states change fees on January 1).
- Quarterly refresh: April 5, July 5, October 5 (catches mid-cycle changes from special legislative sessions).
- Monthly notify-only check: 5th of each month (catches any newly-passed bills affecting LLC fees, franchise tax minimums, or filing rules).
What we don't do
- We don't give legal advice. The lookup is an estimate. Always verify with your state's Secretary of State before paying or filing.
- We don't file LLCs for you. When you click through to a formation service, you're on their site, not ours.
- We don't run a newsletter or store user accounts. For corrections, partnerships, privacy requests, or legal notices, reach us at info@llcfounder.com — see our Privacy Policy for CCPA request handling and response windows.
How we make money
Display advertising (Google AdSense). That's it. We don't sell user data, we don't run sponsorships, and we don't take payment from the formation services we cover. Rankings are based on price, support quality, and what's actually included.
Corrections
If a fee or rule looks wrong, it's usually because (a) the state changed it after our last verification pass, or (b) the rule has a sub-rule we didn't surface (e.g. PLLC variants, foreign-LLC qualification fees, expedited tier pricing). The linked official source on each state page is the canonical record — when our data and the official record disagree, the official record wins, and we backfill on the next refresh.
Who publishes this
LLC Founder is published by Zoom Lifestyle LLC. The site is research-driven and faceless by design: there is no individual byline, because the value is in the data and the sourcing, not in a personality. Every fee is verified against the relevant state's Secretary of State filing schedule, the IRS, and the National Conference of State Legislatures, and each state page links its official source so you can check the number yourself.
The people behind the site are not licensed attorneys, CPAs, or registered agents, and nothing here is legal or tax advice. LLC Founder is consumer reference material — use it to understand the landscape and budget, then confirm specifics with your state's filing office or a licensed professional before you file or pay.